Samphire?

[Avuwyy]

Was looking for locally sourced greens for the future, and came across a plant named ‘Samphire’. Checked the tortoise table and found no information on this plant. Checked the forums and found no information on this plant. Checked Google and couldn’t find anything on its safety for tortoises, just recipes that use the plant.

I’m not going to experiment, but was just wondering if anyone here has fed these to their tortoise, or if they have any information on toxicity?
Thank you!

 

[Cathie G]

Was looking for locally sourced greens for the future, and came across a plant named ‘Samphire’. Checked the tortoise table and found no information on this plant. Checked the forums and found no information on this plant. Checked Google and couldn’t find anything on its safety for tortoises, just recipes that use the plant.

I’m not going to experiment, but was just wondering if anyone here has fed these to their tortoise, or if they have any information on toxicity?
Thank you!

I've never heard of it until you posted it. But it's edible for people and something I'd like to try myself. Seems to be high in salt. They said sodium but since sodium isn't salt the poster may just be cornfused.😊

 

[RosemaryDW]

I have eaten it as a human! Sea beans; very trendy here in California.

It is in the amaranth family, which you will see the Tortoise Table bandy about as very unsafe. I find their assessment unconvincing and we do have owners here who feed some plants in this family. I offer a couple of different kinds to my Russian each year; she will eat a few leaves in the spring, that's about it.

As it is a plant that is capable of living in areas with a high salt presence I probably wouldn't suggest it to any cautious owner. You could take a couple of bites to see if what you have is salty. Just because it is salt tolerant doesn't mean it is grown in salt; I've never had any that was.

As all living animals need some salt in their diet I'd offer my tortoise a bit regardless but I'm not someone who pays much attention to the Tortoise Table, I do my research elsewhere and feed a varied diet.

I'd eat the rest of the package so it's not as if I'd offer more than one or two beans!

 

[Cathie G]

I have eaten it as a human! Sea beans; very trendy here in California.

It is in the amaranth family, which you will see the Tortoise Table bandy about as very unsafe. I find their assessment unconvincing and we do have owners here who feed some plants in this family. I offer a couple of different kinds to my Russian each year; she will eat a few leaves in the spring, that's about it.

As it is a plant that is capable of living in areas with a high salt presence I probably wouldn't suggest it to any cautious owner. You could take a couple of bites to see if what you have is salty. Just because it is salt tolerant doesn't mean it is grown in salt; I've never had any that was.

As all living animals need some salt in their diet I'd offer my tortoise a bit regardless but I'm not someone who pays much attention to the Tortoise Table, I do my research elsewhere and feed a varied diet.

I'd eat the rest of the package so it's not as if I'd offer more than one or two beans!

Yes I agree. I googled and the poster said it was high in sodium. I think they are confused and calling a salt sodium. Which are totally different from each other. And we do need a little bit of salt as part of a balanced diet... like every other animal. In other words eat a handful of chips not the whole dang bag 😅